USDA Dietary Guidelines: A Clash in Governance

By Marena Sullivan

December 6, 2017

Research

Most Americans are familiar with the graphic dietary guidelines produced by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), including the notorious ‘food pyramid.’ In 2011, the USDA’s food pyramid model evolved into its successor, MyPlate. The concept of MyPlate is that Americans can visualize a proportionally balanced meal as it would typically be served on a plate. The concept also emphasizes the importance of consuming whole, as opposed to processed, foods.

While it may not be realistic to drastically cut the subsidies provided to heavily funded industries, the USDA should subsidize industries at a proportion that more closely matches the recommendations for consumption. Providing larger subsidies to fruit and vegetable farmers could lower produce costs to consumers. Affordability would allow more Americans to purchase and consume fruits and vegetables, regardless of income status.

Marena Sullivan is a student at the Boston University School of Public Health and a research assistant at the School of Social Work’s Center for Innovation in Social Work and Health (CISWH). Her interests include the impact of food systems on community nutrition and the use of behavior modification principles in lifestyle interventions to treat non-communicable diseases.